Unhappy: Gethin Jenkins
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According to Midi Olympique, Wales and Toulon loosehead prop Gethin Jenkins is reportedly looking to quit the French club by the end of 2012.
Jenkins has been limited to a small number of starting appearances since he joined Toulon, battling it out with former England international Andrew Sheridan for the number one jersey.
With his playing opportunities limited and a reportedly unhappy relationship with Toulon boss Bernard Laporte, Jenkins is keen to return to his former club, Cardiff Blues, in the coming weeks.
Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal has stated that Jenkins will remain with the club until his contract expires in June 2014, but it is believed he will not rule out releasing Jenkins and replacing him.
Jenkins featured off the bench for Wales in their defeat on Friday to Samoa and should start ahead of Paul James against New Zealand this week, in what will be his 93rd appearance for his country.
Comments
leinster_goy says...
@RoastBeef
no truck intended - actually most of my comments were directed at what "gauca" said. i just decided to lump you in too, for the sake of convenience ;-)
as for a Leinster v toulouse final next may...j'ai trop hâte, mec!
Posted 18:44 23rd November 2012
Toulousain says...
hmmm, trolling again leinster_goy?
may I return the favour?
when sporting teams apparently get on a winning streak, from nowhere, there is usually an explanation. some kind of advantage has been exploited. think 1970s east german bobsleigh team. think lance armstrong.
i am happy with the thought that in 50 years time people will look back at the period 2005-2011 and say, "wow, how did no-one realise the irish provinces had such an advantage in the hcup? amazing how they haven't won it for 50 years since then...."
enjoy it while it lasts mon ami!
and good luck even getting out of your group, let alone playing RCT......
:-)
Posted 11:59 23rd November 2012
GoWalesGo says...
leinster_goy
Bloody hell you do spout some absolute rubbish.
You Leinster trolls are so annoying
Posted 08:47 23rd November 2012
Rosbif says...
@leinster_goy, believe me, I have no truck with you and am no big fan of RCT either... But, to be honest, your two later posts bear little resemblance to your first. And I'm afraid you cover rather too much ground for me to respond to verything. Save to say, I am also not a big fan of the current T14 set-up....
To answer one question, here's a few of names from RCT's academy you may have heard of (and gauca may have some more): Fickou, Maestri, Gunther, Martin, Munoz, Sonetti.... of which, obviously, two have recently moved to my home town club, and gratefully received!
Anyhow, good luck vs Clermont in a few weeks time. We've been fighting them for 100 years and it's always a real battle.
See you in the HCup final maybe?
Posted 20:47 22nd November 2012
leinster_goy says...
@gauca/RoastBeef (PART DEUX)
now, about toulonchester city. i don't know any genuine rugby fan who thinks that the toulon experiment (if i can dignify it by calling it that) is a good thing. i am aware that toulon has a long history, with much success. i also recognise that boudjellal is a local toulonais who no doubt loves his club
but do you really think that their "recruitment policy" (re: mourad taking out his fat chequebook and scribbling a handsome six-figure sum) is a recipe for long-term sporting and financial success? do you recommend it as a template for other up-and-coming teams? surely not
to be honest, toulon's method of doing business would be easier to bear if they were signing players with a view to forming a cohesive, tightly-knit squad. look at all the mercenaries who have come and gone through toulonchester city¿s revolving door ¿ rory lamont, george smith, tana umaga, sonny bill, willie mason, gavin henson¿and soon gethin jenkins. these players were obviously signed on little more than the whim of boudjellal ¿ the kind of short-sighted, hoovering-up style of business that you associate with abramovich¿s chelsea or U.S. soccer clubs
that¿s the difference between them and a team like clermont. yes they have big bucks too, but their management signs top-class players like hines, sivivatu, james etc and integrates them into a highly-skilled, free-flowing, cohesive side ¿ one of the most feared, but exciting, in europe. every signing by vern cotter is ultimately for the long-term good of the squad. for these reasons, i have great respect for clermont and like the rest of the Blue Army, i cant wait for the games in december and welcoming les jaunards once again to Dubbers
as for youth, could you list any home-grown toulonais that are currently in the squad? off the top of my head, i believe that neither suta nor lapeyre came through toulon¿s academy
Posted 20:40 21st November 2012
leinster_goy says...
@gauca/RoastBeef
no jealousy here, sir. if french clubs have the luxury of 30 million euro budgets, then good luck to them. the "propped up" irish provinces have won 5 of the last 7 Heinos - beating richer french clubs in almost every one of those campaigns on their way to glory - despite having annual budgets of around 5 million euro each, so there's very little cause for jealousy on our side. long may it continue
however, the very fact that the top 14 is awash with sugar daddies like mourad with fat chequebooks is also the reason why the french clubs are right now greedily holding the european cup to ransom. money has created the demand for a bloated, over-long top 14 season, where the importance of the european cup (and even international tests) has been eclipsed. the french (and english) solution? demand that the Heino be scaled down and shortened, kick out clubs from developing nations like scotland and italy, get a bigger slice of the money pie (encore plus!) from the erc...none of which will make a shred of difference to the irish system of central contracts and player management, of course.
but the french will no doubt persist with this "might makes right" approach until they get ce qu'ils veulent (ou, plutot, ce que leurs chefs veulent). after all, as you say, they are the guys with all the money
Posted 20:12 21st November 2012
gauca says...
Leinster_Goy
I often read you slate RCT, I am curious to know how any less unfair it is for a club to be funded by their home union than privatley? Just because domestic rugby in Ireland is propped up by IRFU investment and in France clubs are self fundning organisations doesn't make one model any holier than the other.
I'm curious if it is just plain jealousy from you that clubs like RCT can do what they want while the Irish provinces have to suckle at the teat of the IRFU?
Also do you have any idea how many quality French players come through the RCT accademy?
Are you aware MB started to pump his money into a financially failing club and turned it around for his love of all things Toulon, long before you probably even heard the name Toulon. I think thats tantamount to philanthropy whether you approve of him or not, non?
''toulon might well succeed in buying themselves a few trophies this season but in the long-term, with such erratic management, this club is destined for the scrapheap of history. and deservedly so''What on Earth is this supposed to even mean, were you drunk when you typed your post????
Posted 22:29 20th November 2012
makemehappy says...
@Chubbylugs - how do you gain form when not playing?
Posted 13:00 20th November 2012
Rosbif says...
Sorry leinster_goy, I don't mean to have a go, but RCT is really not a recent invention or flight of fancy of Mourad. Please realise RCT is one of the oldest clubs in France, founded more than 100 years ago, and have won the French championship many times. Yes, they are a little like Man City in that they are now full of galacticos and owned by a sugar-daddy, but they are mainly famous here in France for losing four consecutive finals, especially a famous extra-time defeat to Toulouse in 1985 which is thought of as one of the most thrilling finals ever. They also beat BO in Serge Blanco's last game, the final of 1992.
Anyway, they may not be popular with rival fans, but they are certainly not parvenus. And they are not going to disappear on any scrap heap of history, deservedly or not, any time soon!
:-)
Posted 12:38 20th November 2012
APV1 says...
@ ShamanSheep - fair enough. it's interesting that so many have flourished since moving to Toulon (JW, AS, SA, etc), yet he hasn't. I wonder why?
Posted 11:14 20th November 2012
three6three6 says...
The move to Toulon was perhaps not the best move that Gethin could have made.
But I do like the suggestion that he should be recruited by the Scarlets.... now that would be a sensible movin for Gethin and the whole of Welsh rugby.
Posted 09:19 20th November 2012
ShamanSheep says...
@ollieosprey, APV1 - there was no contract on the table from the blues for financial reasons and nobody else in Wales could afford him. He's not the type to go for the lifestyle either. He deserved a big contract considering the player he's been for the last 10 years. He's looked very flat since going to France though, I've never seen him this poor before, there was no question he was the top loosehead on the last Lions tour. I reckon he'll willingly take a big paycut to get back to Wales, the best place for him is Pontypridd, problem is they have no region. Scarlets would love him.
Posted 23:39 19th November 2012
Chubbylugs says...
Being homesick and not adjusting to the culture would be a fair enough shout, but for not getting picked makes him sound like a prima Donna. Surely better to pull his socks up and regain some form
Posted 22:43 19th November 2012
TiggerLavros says...
Remember thinking it was a high-risk move, and a touch over-confident, for Gethin to sign for Toulon AFTER they had already announced the signing of Sheridan. Whilst they have different strengths - GJ fitness, mobility and defence (extra flanker) and Sheri's awesome power at scrum and contact area - anyone familiar with Laporte's style as Stade Francais and France coach would realise he favours a conservative, steamroller approach.
Geth returning would be a great boost for Cardiff, although he's very welcome to come to Sale - we would love to have him in our team!
Posted 20:54 19th November 2012
rugby_rockstar says...
Well, getting stuffed by the Samoans won't exactly help you oust of Andy Sheridan from the toulon front row, now will it Gethin.
Posted 15:26 19th November 2012
makemehappy says...
Can't blame him for going and expecting the rotation policy of recent years. He'd also have expected to be first choice (who wouldn't have). I'd head home though if I was him and can't see Toulon holding him to the contract.
Posted 13:15 19th November 2012
APV1 says...
The grass isn't always greener, eh? I'm sure he'd be welcome back in Wales but will it happen?
It's a shame Sheridan isn't being considered for England. After our performance against Oz, we could do with him in the FR...
Posted 11:27 19th November 2012
leinster_goy says...
oh dear, all is not rosy in the garden at toulonchester city. better get that fat chequebook out quickly mourad, and find another mercenary
while we're on this subject, i find it beyond bizarre that sheikh mansour - sorry, i mean boudjellal - a man of north african stock who has so often ranted in the past about racism in the french rugby federation, actually appointed laporte who was a minister in the former government of nicolas sarkozy who, as we know, made a number of borderline racist remarks about france's north african minority
toulon might well succeed in buying themselves a few trophies this season but in the long-term, with such erratic management, this club is destined for the scrapheap of history. and deservedly so
Posted 10:22 19th November 2012
ollieosprey says...
Good, was stupid to go to Toulon...
Posted 10:04 19th November 2012